


A Not So Simple Farm Life

by LiviaAshley



Category: Harvest Moon, Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness, Harvest Moon: Sunshine Islands
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 04:11:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 17,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17635793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiviaAshley/pseuds/LiviaAshley
Summary: Chelsea loves her farm, her animals, and her friends. She never really thought about romance, but as she reaches her second year she realizes that maybe romance can be an option.Some Chelsea/Will, but very little. Lots of Chelsea/Denny & Chelsea/Vaughn moments. Denny, of course, being a sweetie, and Vaughn being his usual grumpy self... mostly.RATED (E)xplicit for chapter 6 and on---





	1. Chapter 1

_ Hey, guys! I haven’t written a fanfiction in ages. I had been reading this really great Harvest Moon fanfiction that  _ **_RandomJaz_ ** _ wrote/is writing called Jungle Fever. Her fic inspired me to do this one. I absolutely love Chelsea/Denny, but I also love Chelsea/Vaughn. A little bit of Chelsea/Will, too. Who knows where this fic will end up. Haha. _

  
  
  


Another year was beginning, the Spring air was fresh and warm, the birds chirped in the trees. Chelsea stepped out of her small house, looking out at her crop field and back towards her animal barns. She had just planted a good many rows of crops a few days before, so the hard work was mostly done.  
  


The morning sun was bright, warm, and full of energy that washed over her as she watered the crops and made her way to the barn. She had lived here for a year, so her experience as a farmer had grown considerably since she started. The two cows and two sheep in the barn were very happy to see her when she entered. She had one of each kind of cow and sheep, and no need for any more. They kept her busy enough.  
  


“It’s a nice day, guys,” she said cheerily, opening their stalls. “I think you can all go outside today.”  
  


First, she milked the two cows, then sheared only one of the sheep, as the other’s coat wasn’t yet ready. She then opened the big barn doors and ushered them out, now making her way over to the chicken coop. She had eight chickens, four silkies and four normal, enough that she could get eggs everyday and have a good many for meals and selling for some gold. She collected the eggs fairly quick and ushered the chickens outside as well.  
  


Once all of the animals were in the field in their enclosures, Chelsea let out a sigh. The farm work was done for the day and it was only 10 in the morning. She wanted to take some time for herself now, so she went back to her house and went inside, closing the door behind her.  
  


It was pretty well lit inside now as the sun was rising higher and higher into the sky. Chelsea pushed the curtains back on the windows to let even more light in. She grabbed the milk and eggs from her rucksack and stuck them into storage. She kicked off her boots and sat down at her table, resting her chin on her hand.  
  


“A whole year,” she muttered to herself, thinking back over the past year. Memories flooded her mind as she sat in her quiet house...

  
  


~~~~~

 

It was summer of Chelsea’s first year, she had gotten to know quite a few people on the other islands, and everyone seemed very friendly. Except for that Vaughn guy. She wasn’t sure what his deal was, but he never spoke to anyone really, and when he did it was mostly to make a snarky comment, or to embarrass someone. Someone being Elliot.  
  


Poor Elliot. Chelsea felt bad for the guy. He was the one that Vaughn picked on the most. She didn’t think that that was fair at all, but how was she going to say something to Vaughn about it when she was too scared to even talk to him?  
  


Chelsea and Elliot became very good friends, they hung out all summer, but when autumn rolled around things got busier, especially after Chelsea got her new animals. Her farm grew quickly, leaving less time for her to spend with her friends. After autumn had gone and winter came, things came to almost a complete halt on the farm.  
  


Winter. The worst. Barely any money came in from the farm, so Chelsea had to save up as much as she could get from the livestock and poultry, but also save some for herself so that she didn’t have to go buy food.  
  


During the first week of winter Elliot stopped by, a grin on his face.  
  


“Chels!” He sounded so happy. “You won’t believe this.”  
  


He had walked into her house as though he lived there, but Chelsea didn’t mind at all. She was so happy to see her best friend.  
  


“What’s going on?” Chelsea sat at the table and motioned for him to sit across from her, but he was too excited to notice.  
  


“She likes me!” He was almost jumping with excitement, his light red hair slightly messy, from which Chelsea presumed was from running over to her house in such a hurry. “Julia told me she likes me!”  
  


Chelsea grinned. That was another thing. Elliot told her everything, and one of those things was about how he had a huge crush on Julia for as long as he could remember.  
  


“Oh!” Chelsea stood up and went around the table to hug him. “El, that’s great! What happened? You need to tell me everything!”  
  


So they sat for hours talking about Elliot and Julia, and how Elliot was going to ask her out on a date that evening.  
  


“Chels,” Elliot seemed to be a lot calmer now, but he now looked unsure. “What if- I mean - what if I mess things up?”  
  


“You won’t,” Chelsea said firmly, grabbing his hand. “Trust me. You’re the sweetest guy I know. Julia is such a lucky girl. I’m sure she has had a crush on you for ages, too! I’ve seen her look at you, you know.”  
  


“Really?” Elliot’s face turned a soft shade of pink, a smile returning to his lips. “Gah... okay, I need to go. I should find something better to wear. I’ll let you know how things go.”  
  


Elliot stood up from his chair, as did Chelsea, and they both walked to the front door. Elliot hugged her tightly before leaving, happily running towards the bridge that joined the islands of her farm and town. Chelsea sighed again, but smiled. She was so happy for her best friend.  
  


Another week passed, boring and quiet. Elliot stopped by a day before to tell Chelsea all about the three dates he and Julia had been on and how they were all amazing. This made Chelsea start to feel lonely. Almost her second year here and she hadn’t really thought about guys much, but now she was growing lonely.  
  
  


Winter grew colder. The third week was upon her, the coldest and most brutal week of winter. Two typhoons in one week was bad. Debris was everywhere, her field was littered with stumps and giant rocks from who knows where. She spent a whole day clearing the first mess, only to have a typhoon hit again the following day. She gave up and left the mess, telling herself that she would get to it just before spring.  
  


During the very last days of winter there was a knock on her door. It was pretty early, about 7am, and it was a Saturday. Chelsea had been lying awake in bed, so she needed an excuse to get up. She had fleece pajamas on and her hair was a mess from tossing and turning all night, but she answered the door anyway.  
  


An unfamiliar face greeted her. He was tall, blond haired and blue eyed, slender but not too thin. He wore white pants and a white jacket.  
  


“Um, hi,” Chelsea said, opening the door a little wider now.  
  


“Hey, sorry to bother you so early, my lady,” his voice was soft, but deep. “You’re Chelsea, right?”  
  


She nodded.  
  


“I’m Will,” he held his hand out to her and she shook it. “I just moved here from the city a few days ago. I’m staying with my uncle Regis and cousin Sabrina. I was getting to know the people in town, ended up eating a meal at the restaurant and the cook said he got the produce from you. It was amazing. I just wanted to stop by and introduce myself and let you know that you have a wonderful set up out here.”  
  


He motioned towards her field and barns.  
  


“Thank you, Will,” Chelsea smiled and opened the door wider. “I’m sure you don’t like standing in the cold. Would you care to come in? I can make us some coffee if you have time.”  
  


“I’d love that,” Will walked into the house and looked around. “Lovely little place.”  
  


“It’s not much,” Chelsea said, closing the door and going to the stove to put on a pot of coffee. “It’s home, though.”  
  


Will sat at the table and so did Chelsea after she put the water on to heat up.  
  


“So I take it you’ve lived here a while?” Will asked, looking around at the kitchen, then back to her.  
  


“Almost a whole year,” Chelsea nodded. “The townsfolk are super nice people, they’ve all helped my settle in nicely.”  
  


“I agree,” Will folded his arms across the table, leaning on them. “I’ve met everyone, I believe. Extremely nice people. I think I’ll be staying here for a long time.”  
  


“That’s good to hear,” Chelsea grinned, getting up from her seat to put coffee into the now hot water. “It’s always nice to have a new neighbor.”  
  


“Indeed it is,” Will nodded as Chelsea handed him a hot cup of coffee. “Thanks.”  
  


They had spent a while talking before Will had to go. Chelsea needed to get her farm work done, anyway, so she said goodbye.  
  


She didn’t see much of Will in the next few days, but she figured he was pretty busy still settling down. The first day of spring Spring was the following day... which was going to be a very, very busy day.  
  


~~~~~~

 

A knock on the door brought Chelsea out of her thoughts. Her instant thought now was that Will was at her door. She had been thinking about him a lot in the last week. Almost running, she got to the door and opened it quickly, but it was only Taro.  
  


“Good morning, Chelsea!” The short old man grinned at her, holding his cane tightly in his hand. “I just wanted to let you know that you’ve done a great job this past year. I just went and looked at your new spring crops and I already see the seedlings popping up! I’m so happy!”  
  


“Thanks, Taro,” Chelsea was happy to hear that he approved of how her farming had improved. “It’s been hard, but well worth it.”  
  


“I’m glad,” Taro nodded. “Anyway, the main reason I came by is to see tell you that Chen has some new furniture, and Gannon finally has blueprints for an upgrade to the house here, if you’re interested in either.”  
  


Chelsea looked at her little house and the dinky furniture inside, realizing that she may actually need something new. “I’m definitely interested. I think I’ll go with some furniture first, to get me started. Then once summer gets here I’ll do a house upgrade.”  
  


“Good,” Taro nodded and turned. “I’ll be going now. See you around.”  
  


The old man left and Chelsea popped her boots back on, walking outside. The outside of the house was in fairly good condition, so she decided that summer was the best time for an upgrade. She decided to make her way into town to see what Chen had in stock.  
  


The day was warming up quickly, so it was an exceptionally warm spring day. Chelsea saw Elliot and Julia walking together, holding hands. They both waved at her and she waved back, smiling at them both. Now at Chen’s shop, she entered. There was new furniture all over the place.  
  


“Hey, Chen,” Chelsea grinned at the man behind the counter who was counting rings for shower curtains.  
  


“Ah, Chelsea!” Chen’s face grew bright when he saw her. “Wonderful! Are you here for the new stuff?”  
  


“Mostly just looking to see if there is anything I need,” Chelsea felt her pockets. Winter had drained her of funds, but she did have enough for some of the stuff here. She glanced around the room, thinking. Her bed was beginning to grow uncomfortable, and half of the time she felt cramped. Something bigger would be nice, but she didn’t see any beds. “What about a bed? One a little bit bigger than the one I own now?”  
  


“Ah, I’m sorry,” Chen looked disappointed in himself. “I forgot to order new beds, but that’s in the next shipment. I only ordered singles, so if you want something bigger you will need to special order it.”  
  


Chen slipped Chelsea an order form and gave her a pen, then gave her a catalog. “Write what you want and I’ll have it shipped to you directly. Half-off, too. You’ve been a great customer, I’ll give you a deal.”  
  


Chelsea was taken aback. “Chen, I will pay full price, you just need to let me know how much everything is after shipping.”  
  


“No,” when Chen spoke with finality, the conversation was over. Chelsea nodded and flipped through the catalog until she found the perfect bed. Big enough for two people.. or at least a lot of wiggle room for one. She copied the number and name onto the order form, then handed it to him.  
  


“Do you know about when I should expect it?” Chelsea asked.  
  


“Either Wednesday or Thursday,” Chen took the form and put it in a small pile of other forms waiting to go out.  
  


“Awesome, thank you!” Chelsea grinned, then said goodbye and made her way back out into town.  
  


It was well into the afternoon now and Chelsea was starving. Remembering that she only had eggs and milk in her refrigerator, she decided to do some fishing. She crossed a bridge to another island and went the beach to try and catch a few fish.  
  


After an hour of trying, she finally gave up. Her stomach was rumbling now. She sighed, but jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned quickly only to see Denny standing behind her. His tan skin was shining with sweat, but he smiled as if it didn’t phase him.  
  


“No luck?” He asked, looking out at the water. Of course he would ask, being an expert fisherman and all.  
  


“No,” Chelsea said sadly, putting her fishing pole on the ground and sitting down in the sand. “I was hoping to get at least one. It would’ve been my dinner.”  
  


Chelsea could feel Denny’s eyes looking at her. There was silence, then she felt his hand on her shoulder again. “Why don’t you just come over to my place? I’ll make you some dinner.”  
  


Chelsea felt like she couldn’t refuse. Besides, Denny had cooked for her a couple other times and it wasn’t that bad. She nodded and stood up, Denny grabbing her arm to help her steady herself in the sand. They walked together to his small house. Being that it was a fisherman’s house, it smelled like the ocean and, well, fish. It wasn’t the best smell in the world, but she could stomach it.  
  


Denny got ingredients out of his refrigerator and started preparing dinner. Within thirty minutes it was done and he was setting a hot plate of food in front of her, then getting one for himself. It was fish and potatoes with broccoli. It smelled great, so good in fact that it almost covered the smell of the raw fish that Denny had caught earlier that day. The meal was very filling. Chelsea was grateful to have friends that would just make her a meal. Although she thought maybe Denny had other ideas. He was persistent to talk to her whenever she came to the beach, and he sure did like to be a flirt and a tease, so she didn’t really know when he was being serious or not.  
  


“I should probably head home. I forgot to ask Taro what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow and I left my animals out.”  
  


“Clear,” Denny said.  
  


“What?”  
  


“It’s supposed to be clear.”  
  


“Oh,” Chelsea did want to go home, but she felt bad to eat and run.  
  


They sat in silence for a moment before Denny finally spoke. “Would you like to take a walk with me?”  
  


“Sure,” the response was quick, but she didn’t know why.  
  


They both got up and Denny cleared the table quickly, tossing the dishes into the sink. He opened the door and they walked outside. The sun was setting now and it felt a lot cooler than it had been earlier. They walked out onto the beach where she had left her fishing pole, and she grabbed it. There was a long silence between them, until Denny broke it.  
  


“Hey,” he had stopped walking, so Chelsea turned around. “Uh, I don’t really know how to say this...”  
  


Chelsea could see that he was fumbling for the right words, and she knew what was coming next.  
  


“Um..” he put his hand to the back of his neck, like he did a lot when he was nervous. “I don’t know if you’d want to... maybe hang out more? Gah.. I’m bad at this. Look, Chelsea, I like you.”  
  


Hearing it and knowing he was going to say it were two different things. Chelsea felt her stomach flip. She had never been told that before. Sure, once in first grade, but that was when she was a kid. She was a full grown woman now, so she knew this was real. Yet, she didn’t know how she felt about Denny. He wasn’t as good of a friend as Elliot was, but he always treated her with kindness.  
  


“Say something,” Denny sounded desperate now. She knew he didn’t want to be the only one to say something.  
  


“Denny,” Chelsea looked down at her feet, frowning. There was sand in her boots. She tried to get her focus back to him. “Listen, you’re a great friend. I just don’t know if I’m ready to be with anyone yet.”  
  


“Ah,” Denny looked down as well, nodding after a moment. “I understand. At least you know how I feel.”  
  


Chelsea looked at him, then touched his arm softly and kissed his cheek. “Thanks for dinner. I need to get home.”  
  


She didn’t look back as she left the beach, but she was sure that he was smiling at her as she walked away. Once she got back to her island she made her way inside the house. She kicked her boots off and undressed, got a shower, then dressed herself into some lightweight pajamas.  
  


Climbing into bed for the night, Chelsea couldn’t help but think about what Denny said. She never thought about him that way, but now the thought was there and it nagged at her. Then there was another thought. Will. Tall and handsome. She didn’t know how she could like someone she had I just met, yet not have thought twice about someone she had known for almost a year. Everything ached on her body. Winter had not been kind to her, and now that spring was here and things were already picking up fast she was dead tired.  
  


She drifted off to sleep, hoping tomorrow would be a good day.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day was clear, as Denny had told her it would be. Chelsea decided to water the crops after she was finished with the animals. Today was Sunday, so she could finish the farm work and take a break. Chelsea couldn’t wait for Wednesday. She wanted her new bed. She had been tossing and turning in her current one, a few springs poking her. It was definitely time for something new.   
  


The animals were happy to see her as she walked across the field. They were grazing in the fresh grass she had planet for them in their pens. She gathered the eggs, milked the cows, and sheared the other sheep that was now full of wool. After she brushed them all, she made her way back to the crops. They were still slightly damp from when she had watered them the day before, so she gave them all a quick sprinkle.  
 

When she got up to her house she hoses off her boots and sat them beside the house to dry. It was warming up fast, so she decided to change her clothes as well. She was still dressed for winter weather, but now she had time to wear her spring clothing. She ran inside and put on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, then tossed her bandana off, letting her long brown hair loose. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She pulled some of her bangs out of her face and put a barrette in to hold it back.  
 

She spent about an hour inside, cleaning, stacking a little bit of wood that was left from winter, opening the curtains and windows to let the fresh air in. A light breeze was wafting through the house now, the smell of fresh grass and dirt relaxing her. Spring and autumn were her favorite seasons, because they were never too hot and it rained fairly often.  
 

Outside, her boots had dried, so she slipped them on and made her way to town. She decided to try fishing again, but this time she wanted to go to Mushroom Island to see if she could catch bigger fish. She made her way down to the dock where Kirk sat in his boat, humming a little tune.  
 

“Good morning, Kirk,” Chelsea smiled, fishing pole in hand.  
 

“Ah! Morning!” Kirk scooted over and gestured to the seat in front of him. “Need a ride?”  
 

“Yeah,” Chelsea hopped down into the boat and sat her fishing pole down next to her. “Mushroom island, please.”  
 

Kirk rowed the boat. It took maybe fifteen minutes to get there. Mushroom island was one of Chelsea’s favorite islands. She had almost forgotten about it during the winter because there were so many snow storms that she barely got out of the house. She got off the boat and grabbed her pole, sitting it on the beach. She decided to forage for mushrooms, as she still didn’t have much food.  
 

There were a lot of mushrooms, so she picked all but a few, so that they would continue to grow. Her rucksack was fairly empty, so she had a good bit of room for fish. Chelsea looked around. The jungle behind some Giant mushrooms was full of birds chirping. Chelsea remembered that she had met a young man here last year. His name was Shea. He lived in a big tree-house in the middle of the jungle. She had been curious one day and went exploring, only to discover a native. It was just him, but he spoke of someone he called his father.  
 

Chelsea wondered what he was up to these days. She picked up her fishing pole and began to fish. It was thirty minutes before she caught anything, but when she did it was a huge fish. She ended up catching four more, then her rucksack was full. As she was putting her fishing pole away, she heard leaves rustling behind her in the jungle. She turned to see Shea, foraging for berries on some bushes. She didn’t want to startle him, so she stayed back, but called out. “Hello, Shea.”  
 

Shea turned quickly to see her standing there near the docks. He didn’t move, but looked from her to Kirk, then back to her. He then started walking over, a fistful of berries in one hand. Once he reached her, he took her hand and poured the berries into it.  
 

“For Chelsea,” he said, watching her closely.  
 

“Thanks,” Chelsea smelled the berries, then popped a couple in her mouth. They were very sweet. She reached into her rucksack and pulled out a large fish. She saw Shea’s eyes widen, a smile spreading across his face. “This is for you.”  
 

“Chelsea give Shea fish,” he said, grabbing the fish. “Shea love fish. Fish Shea’s favorite.”  
 

Chelsea spent a while with the man, talking about fishing and foraging. He even had given her some tips on fishing, but his tips required her splashing around in the water. When evening started coming Chelsea told Shea that she had to go. He nodded and headed back to his house in the giant tree. Chelsea climbed into the boat and Kirk rowed back to Verdure island. The sun was setting quickly now, so Chelsea made her way home.  
 

She tossed fish into a pan and covered it, then started a pot of rice. She put the remaining fish in the fridge and the mushrooms, too. The smell of the food cooking made her stomach rumble. She hadn’t eaten much all day, so she was ready for food. There was a knock on her door, so she went to answer it.  
 

“Will?” Chelsea was surprised to see him standing at her door, smiling. She opened the door to let him in. “It’s pretty late, what are you doing here?”  
 

“I saw you in town a while ago, I was going to stop you, but you seemed in a hurry,” Will stepped inside and grinned. “So I decided to stop in and visit.”  
 

“Oh, yeah,” Chelsea shut the door, a little flustered. The pot on the stove was popping as the water for the rice boiled. She ran over and turned it down. “I’ve been pretty busy today. Went fishing and foraging on Mushroom island most of the day.”  
 

“Ah, sounds tiring,” Will made himself at home, pulling up a chair and sitting at the table. “Hope you don’t mind. I’ve also been on my feet all day. Unless you’d rather me go? I didn’t realize that you were preparing dinner.”  
 

“No, no,” Chelsea turned and smiled at him now, hoping he would stay. “Please. I’ve made enough food, why don’t you stay for dinner?”  
 

“I’d love to,” Will nodded and rested his arms on the table. “Lovely little house you have here. Back home I feel like there is just too much to take care of. That’s why I like my yacht. It’s spacious, but not too much to handle on my own.”  
 

“Oh, you have a yacht?” Chelsea shouldn’t have been so surprised. She had heard that he was extremely wealthy.  
 

“I should have you over,” Will grinned. “Perhaps after dinner? We can go for a walk and I’ll show you around, maybe take the yacht out for a quick sail. I hear the moon is full tonight so it’ll be bright enough out on the water.”  
 

Chelsea was tired, but this excited her. She had never been on a yacht, let alone with a very good looking young man. She nodded. “That sounds wonderful.”  
 

The two ate together, laughing and telling each other stories from their childhood. Will loved the simplicity of the islands, how they were quiet and calm compared to the busy city where he lived. Once they finished eating, Will helped her clear the table and wash up the dishes, then they made their way outside.  
 

The walk across Verdure and Sprout islands were quick as they finally came to the yacht. It was white and shiny in the moonlight. Will helped her up into the yacht, then climbed up himself. There was a small cabin near the back, where Will controlled the steering. The boat came to life and Will pulled away from the docks slowly, then went out to sea. Chelsea loved the smell of the sea air; cold, yet refreshing. Once a decent way out, Will stopped the boat and walked out of the cabin and into the moonlight where Chelsea stood.  
 

“This is great,” Chelsea turned to him and grinned. “I see why you spend a lot of time out here.”  
 

“It is great,” he agreed, walking around her to the front of the boat and looking down into the water. It was so clear that you could almost see the fish swimming around under the surface. “I love coming out here at night, especially with a full moon. I love how the water reflects everything.”  
 

They were quiet for a while, both looking out at the water. Chelsea saw a couple fish swimming close to the surface.  
 

“I’m going to be straightforward with you,” Will’s voice breaking the silence startled her. “I think you’re very beautiful, Chelsea. I’d like to get to know you better. Perhaps you would like to go on a date with me?”  
 

Chelsea almost couldn’t speak. He was the second guy in two days that had said something like this, but she didn’t even know Will that well. “Um...” she could barely get the words out. Part of her wanted to say yes, but she thought that was irrational. “Listen, we’ve only just met. We don’t really know each other.”  
 

“I feel like I already know so much about you,” Will seemed determined. “Please, just one date? If it doesn’t go well, then we can take it no further. We will just be friends.”  
 

Chelsea thought for a moment, then nodded. “Okay,” What was she doing? “Fine. One date.”  
 

“Tomorrow,” Will grinned, walking back to the cabin. “I’ll pick you up around seven. The diner on sprout island has really great food.”  
 

Chelsea didn’t say anything else as he steered the boat back to the dock. Once they arrived Will offered to walk Chelsea home, but she declined. She wanted to go by herself and think. She hopped down off of the yacht and onto the dock, waving goodbye to him. Will went below deck and into his sleeping quarters.  
 

Sighing, Chelsea walked down the deck and onto the beach. She stopped once her feet hit the sand. _I should have said no,_ she thought to herself. He was so persuasive that she could barely think when she was around him. Chelsea heard a sound to her right, so she looked over. Denny had just come out of his shack, fishing pole in his hand. He didn’t smile, but he looked from her to the yacht.  
 

“Good ride?” He asked, almost angrily, walking past her to the water.  
 

“Uh.. yeah..” Chelsea frowned slightly and turned to see him putting bait on his hook. “What’s up your butt?”  
 

“Nothing,” Denny cast the line out into the water and sat down in the sand.  
 

“Hmm,” Chelsea rolled her eyes and went to walk away, but Denny spoke up.  
 

“You know,” she could hear a tone in his voice that she hadn’t heard before, almost accusing. “I’ve known you for almost a year. We’ve hung out. You’re one of my good friends. Yet, you know this pompous rich guy for a day and you’re already going for late night boat rides with him. I don’t get it, Chels. And then yesterday I told you that I liked you and you turned me down. Is it because of him?”  
 

“Denny, don’t be stupid,” Chelsea started, but he cut her off.  
 

“Don’t call me stupid,” he stood up, dropping his fishing pole and turning to face her. He was a good bit taller than her, so she had to look up at him now. She felt heat rush to her face and her stomach clench. She felt embarrassed. “Just answer the question.”  
 

His intense speaking manner made her sputter her words. “I.. no. No it’s not. Denny.. I don’t even know what I want.”  
 

“Maybe consider how others feel about you,” Denny’s voice was more quiet now, he lowered his head and grabbed her hand in his. His hands were very warm. “I don’t even know this dude, but he has been hitting on Natalie and Lily. Natalie wants nothing to do with him, but I’ve seen Lily make the googly eyes at him. I just don’t want you getting hurt.”  
 

Chelsea didn’t know what to say. She tightened her hand on his and pursed her lips. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “He asked me out. I said one date. I don’t even really know what I want, so I have already decided to turn him down when he asks me out again. I don’t have time for this.”  
 

“Yet you have time to ride on his boat,” Denny let her hand go, and his fell to his side. He looked directly at her now. She could see pain in his chocolate brown eyes. “Whatever you wanna do.”  
 

She watched as he turned around and sat back down. She turned to make her way home, mumbling “goodnight,” to him. The walk home seemed to take forever. She couldn’t help but think about Denny now. Poor, sweet Denny. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. He had always been kind to her, and even now, telling her that Will was hitting on other women in town... she didn’t know whether or not to believe him.  
 

Before she turned to cross the bridge to her farm, she stopped at Taro’s house. It was midnight, so she tapped on Natalie’s bedroom window. A few seconds later Natalie walked out of the house. She must not have been asleep, because she looked wide awake and still had her day clothes on.  
 

“Hey,” she said, walking over to Chelsea. “What’s going on?”  
 

“Did Will hit on you?” Chelsea was pretty straightforward. She wasn’t afraid to talk to Natalie, seeing as she was another one of her good friends.  
 

Natalie laughed and nodded. “Yesterday. I swear, that guy has some kind of complex. I think he’s just looking for someone to sleep with. I’m so not interested. Why?”  
 

“Ah, just something Denny said,” Chelsea looked down at her feet. “Will asked me out and I think Denny knew before I told him.”  
 

“I wouldn’t go out with Will if I were you,” Natalie rolled her eyes and laughed again. “Seriously, I don’t know where that guy has been, or who he’s been in, but I wouldn’t doubt that he’s got some kind of craziness going on in his downstairs places.”  
 

This made Chelsea laugh. “Yeah,” she smiled now and then turned towards the bridge. “I should get home. Thanks, Nat.”  
 

“Night,” Natalie went back into her house as Chelsea left.  
 

Now Chelsea felt dumb. She shouldn’t have said yes to Will, but she couldn’t just not show up to their date. She thought about everything that night. She needed to turn Will down. Even though he was attractive, she didn’t feel emotionally connected to him. When she laid down to sleep, something in her mind kept nagging at her. She thought of Denny and her heart beat a little faster. Maybe she really did like him. She remembered the feeling of his hand on hers, and felt her face go pink.  _ Shit _ .


	3. Chapter 3

The next day dragged on, just as clear as the day before. After all of the animals were cared for, Chelsea harvested her first spring crops, tossing two-thirds of the gatherings into the shipping bin. Some money would definitely be coming in from these.   
  


Chelsea spent the rest of the day waiting... thinking about how to turn Will down. She hated hurting people’s feelings, but she had hurt Denny already, and the only way to fix things was to turn down Will. To be fair, she barely knew the guy, so she wouldn’t be losing much.   
  


Six-thirty rolled around and Chelsea got ready for her date. She pulled her hair back into a bun and put a few bobby-pins in her hair to hold back the loose strands. She put on a little bit of makeup, but not much. She then put on one of her nicer things. A dress that she hadn’t worn for years. It was a dark pink, almost purple dress. It fell to just above her knees. She grabbed a necklace and put it on as well. She rummaged through her closet, trying to find a nice pair of shoes. There were three pairs of old, worn down boots that she had told herself to just throw away, but she had never gotten around to it. She pushed past them and finally found a pair of black two-inch heels at the very back. Just as she put them on she heard a knock at the door.   
  


Getting up quickly from the floor, she made her way to the door. Her shoes clacked on the hardwood floor. As she opened the door she saw Will standing there, wearing a white suit. She figured that he must like white. His boat, his clothes, even his horse out by the docks was white.   
  


“You look beautiful,” Will was looking her up and down. Chelsea blushed. She felt stupid. She hadn’t worn anything like this in years. She was a farmer, not a girl who liked to dress up.   
  


“Thanks,” she managed, clearing her throat. “You look nice.”   
  


They walked and talked, though not as much as the night before. A lot was still going through Chelsea’s mind. When they got to sprout island, Chelsea glanced around quickly. Denny’s shack was dark; meaning he wasn’t home. She figured he might be out fishing. She knew he liked to go out at night and fish. Will reached the diner’s doors before her, then held it open. She walked in and looked around. The diner was half full, most people coming in after work, a couple other people on dates. She spotted Elliot and Julia in a corner booth, both dressed up nicely.   
  


Will pulled out a chair near a table against the wall, a quiet area. “Thanks,” Chelsea sat down and Will then sat across from her. A young woman was over almost instantly to ask what they wanted to drink.   
  


“Water, please,” Will smiled at her.. a little too much, Chelsea thought. “And.. water for her.”   
  


“Um,” Chelsea was pulled away from her thoughts. “Actually, could I get a vodka cranberry?”   
  


“Sure thing,” the young woman scratched off something on the pad and wrote down her drink order. “I’ll be back with those shortly.”   
  


Chelsea nodded and then picked up her menu, scanning it quickly. “This pasta looks good.”   
  


Will, picking up his own menu, looked at the pasta dishes. “Hmm..” he flipped the page to the salads and soups. “Ah, this looks good, too.” He pointed to a large salad and a creamy potato soup.   
  


The waitress was back with their drinks, then asked if they were ready to order. Chelsea nodded. “Yeah, can I get the creamy chicken pasta?”   
  


“Sure thing,” the waitress scribbled it down, then turned to Will. “And for you?”   
  


“The soup and salad special, please,” Will closed his menu and took Chelsea’s as well, handing them to the waitress. “Thank you.”   
  


Chelsea sipped her drink. She hadn’t had an alcoholic drink in ages, she almost forgot how good a vodka cranberry was. She saw Will take a drink of his water, then noticed he was staring at her. “What?” She asked, glancing up at him.   
  


“I don’t know,” his brow furrowed now, looking at her. “You don’t seem very talkative tonight. What’s wrong?”  
  


“Nothing,” Chelsea put a smile on.   
  


“Hey, man!” A miner from across the room called out, which made Chelsea turn her head to see. “Long time no see.”   
  


Denny had just walked in, joining his friend at a table across the room. Chelsea felt her heart beating harder, her face turning pink. She quickly looked away and focused on Will.   
  


“So, I was thinking about this whole date,” she began to speak, but Will grabbed her hand and grinned.   
  


“Me, too,” his smile was infectious. “I’m really happy that you said yes. I have something for you.”   
  


He reached under the table and brought up a red rose and a little white box. Chelsea almost shook her head, but stopped herself as he handed them to her. She opened the box slowly, only to see a gold bracelet with little sparkling diamonds all over it.   
  


“Well?” Will smiled, looking at her intently. “Do you like it?”   
  


“It’s beautiful,” Chelsea kept looking at it. “But I don’t think I can accept this. I don’t wear stuff like this. I work on a farm.”   
  


“So? Save it for occasions like this,” Will grinned now, his perfect white teeth shining in the light.   
  


Chelsea nodded and put the box in her lap, then sitting the rose next to her silverware. Not long after, their food came. Chelsea ate, occasionally glancing over at the table where Denny was sitting. She tried not to look when Will would notice, but she was sure he saw her looking once or twice. Denny, on the other hand, hadn’t looked over once.   
  


After they finished eating, Chelsea felt so full. The dress she was wearing felt tight. She just wanted to go home and get into some nice loose fitting pajamas. The waitress gave Will the bill and he paid it.   
  


“You ready?” He stood from his seat and held his hand out to her. Chelsea nodded and grabbed the box and the rose in one hand, and grabbed his hand with her free one.   
  


As they were leaving, she glanced over at Denny one last time, and now noticed that he looked over at her. They kept eye contact until she walked out of the diner.   
  


“Would you like to come to the yacht with me?” Will smiled, looking down at her. “We can sail for a while.”   
  


Chelsea didn’t say anything as they made their way to the dock, but when they got to the yacht and he offered to help her up, she shook her head. “I shouldn’t,” she said quietly.   
  


“Why not?” Will looked at her questioningly, brows furrowed. “Did you not have a good time?”   
  


“I did, I really did,” Chelsea looked down, a loose strand of hair slipping down in front of her face. She pushed it back quickly before he could, now looking back up at him. “It’s just... I still don’t know what I want. I think we should just be friends. I can’t see a relationship with you. I’m sorry.”   
  


Chelsea handed him the rose and the box with the bracelet. “I can’t accept these.”   
  


With that, she left him standing there. She walked down the dock and stopped before the sand, taking her shoes off. She heard the yacht’s cabin door slam shut and heard the engine start. Not even a minute later the boat was sailing out to sea. Chelsea walked over to the water, letting the sand get all over her feet, then watched as the water washed up over them.   
  


“He seemed to be in a mood,” Denny’s voice startled her, making her turn around quickly and hit his chest pretty hard. “Ouch!”   
  


“Oh! I’m so sorry,” Chelsea bit her lip. “I didn’t realize it was you. Don’t scare me like that.”   
  


She turned back around, so Denny stood by her side now, looking at her. “You all right?”   
  


“Yeah,” she wasn’t. She hated the feeling of having to turn someone down. “Will was upset.”   
  


“I saw,” Denny’s face was illuminated by the moon, which shone brightly in the night sky. “I walked out as soon as you guys left. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snooped. I just wanted to make sure he didn’t do something to you.”   
  


“I can defend myself,” Chelsea tried to make herself sound confident, but she must’ve failed because Denny chuckled slightly. “What? I can!”   
  


“I never said you couldn’t,” Denny’s smile made her smile now. They stared at each other for a long time, then Denny raised his hand to her face, which she instinctively grabbed to push away, but he shook his head and she lowered her hand. She didn’t realize that the strand of hand was in her face again until he pushed it back out of the way. His fingertips grazed her cheek slowly as he pulled his hand away. “You look amazing.” His voice was a whisper now. Chelsea remembered what she was wearing.    
  


“I look ridiculous,” Chelsea laughed, but Denny didn’t seem to find it funny.   
  


“No,” Denny reached behind her head and pulled the tie out of her hair, which made the hair fall to her shoulders. “Amazing. I don’t see why you think you look ridiculous.”   
  


“Denny,” she started to speak, but Denny put his finger to her lips. She stopped and stared at him.   
  


“You are honestly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met,” he spoke quietly, his eyes still focusing on hers. “When you’re covered in dirt and your boots are dirty, you’re still beautiful. Any time of day or night. Even with all of this,” he gestured to her makeup and dress, “you are still as beautiful as those other days. And I know you only think of me as a friend, but I’ve told you how I feel about you, and I know for a fact that you must feel something too.”   
  


Chelsea knew if she spoke she would probably tear up, so she shook her head.   
  


“Yes, because why else would you look over at me so many times at the diner tonight?” He smiled slightly, nodding.   
  


She was able to speak now. “How would you know that? You never looked over at me.”   
  


“Of course I did,” Denny put his hands on her shoulders, still looking into her eyes. “Seeing you with him, it kind of drove me to say the things I’ve said tonight. I want you in my life, Chelsea. Whenever I’m around you I’m happy, and when I saw you with him I felt like I was being ripped apart.”   
  


They were both quiet now, a tear was rolling down Chelsea’s cheek. Denny watched as it rolled nearer to her chin, then brought his hand up to her face, wiping it away with his thumb slowly. He looked back to her eyes. Denny brought his other hand up to her face, then kissed her. It was a slow kiss, as if Denny was expecting her to push him away at any second, but she didn’t. She had never been kissed, and she couldn’t imagine any kiss better than this. She parted her lips slightly, slowly kissing him back. She felt his hands move from her face, now running down her sides to rest on her lower back. She felt him pull her closer, not breaking the kiss.   
  


The sound of Will’s yacht pulling up to the dock made them stop and turn. Chelsea saw Will in the cabin, turning the light off and walking out onto the deck. Denny didn’t take his hands off of Chelsea as they saw Will looking over at them. Chelsea felt a lump forming in her throat as Will turned and went under the deck to his room. She looked back at Denny, who looked back down at her, slowly letting his hands fall back to his sides. “Goodnight.”   
  


Denny walked away, leaving Chelsea to stand in the dark by herself. Even though it wasn’t really that dark because of the moon, Chelsea felt like darkness was closing in on her. She knew how she felt now. That weird feeling she would get whenever she saw Denny. She knew now that she really did like him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chelsea spent the next few days just working at her farm. She needed time to herself. She spent a lot of her extra time foraging and fishing, shipping whatever extra she had left over. She had gotten a good bit of gold from her crops, so she was able to save up.   
  


It was Thursday. Her bed was supposed to have been there the day before, but she spoke to Chen and he said the delivery would be a day late. A lot of orders were coming in to him since spring had arrived, so he was being rushed for certain things. He had apologized many times over, but Chelsea said it was no big deal. Chen guaranteed it would be at her house the following day.   
  


There was no sign of any delivery today, though. It was nearing evening and Chelsea was tired from working all day. She managed to clear all of the stumps and boulders from her garden, and planted more rows of crop. After everything was done she made her way inside. She tossed off her dirty clothes and got in the shower, watching all of the dirt falling off of her until she was clean. Once she was out, she threw on a gray lightweight sweatpants and a light pink tank top. She somewhat dried her hair and let it hang loose to dry the rest of the way.   
  


Of course now there was a knock at her door. She dreaded answering it. It sounded like Will, from the way he had knocked before. She didn’t want to see him. Another knock. And another. She finally opened the door, but it wasn’t Will standing there.   
  


“You order the bed?” The tall, scary cowboy at the door looked down at her. She never said much to Vaughn at all. He mostly kept to himself and his animals.   
  


“Uhh..” Chelsea stared at him, then nodded.   
  


“Where do you want it?” Vaughn huffed slightly, lifting the mattress. Chelsea pointed to a spot inside and he walked in, setting it on the floor. He went back out and got the frame. “Here’s your manual.”   
  


After Vaughn brought the frame in, he handed her a paper. “Everything should be there. If you’ve got any questions, Chen can help you.”   
  


Vaughn went to leave, but Chelsea stopped him. She grabbed her rucksack and felt around inside for a couple gold coins. When she found them she handed them to him. “Thanks.”   
  


“Oh,” Vaughn looked at the money in his hand, then held it back out to her. “No, I don’t need it.”   
  


“Just take it,” Chelsea smiled. “For your trouble. I didn’t realize it was you that was delivering.”   
  


“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Vaughn frowned.   
  


“Oh, no,” Chelsea was flustered now. “I, I just.. I thought Chen was going to. I would’ve given him some money for delivering, too.”   
  


“Well,” Vaughn stretched, wincing slightly. The bed must’ve been very heavy. “Like I said. I don’t need it.”   
  


He put the money back in her hands and started to walk away. “Thank you!” She called out to him, but he didn’t say anything. Instead he just make a quick wave at her and crossed the bridge to Verdure island.   
  


Over the next hour and a half Chelsea tried to put her new bed together. It was harder than the manual explained. Just as she was about to give up, there was another knock on the door. She got up and opened it. It was Vaughn again.   
  


“I got back to town and I realized I forgot this,” he handed her another piece of paper. “I guess the manual had two parts.”   
  


“Ah,” Chelsea looked over at the mess she couldn’t understand. “That explains a lot.”   
  


Vaughn peeked inside and almost laughed. Chelsea shot him a look and he shut up real quick. “Need help?”   
  


At this point she would accept any help. “If you have time. I thought you went out of town everyday except Monday and Tuesday?”   
  


Vaughn nodded in response. “I had this week free.” He walked in and sat on the floor next to all of the parts. Chelsea closed the door and sat across from him, picking up a piece she didn’t even know what it’s purpose was. Vaughn scanned the manual quickly, then smiled to himself. He took apart a couple pieces she had tried to fit together.   
  


“I fucked it up, didn’t I?” She asked, folding her arms. Vaughn glanced up at her, just under the brim of his black cowboy hat, then back to what he was doing.   
  


“A little,” he said, putting the correct pieces together now. He continued putting it together, asking her to hand him a piece here and there. Finally the frame was finished and all he had to do was put the mattress on. They took the plastic off and both lifted the mattress up, sliding it into place. Chelsea was so glad she finally had her new bed.   
  


“Do you want me to take your old one?” Vaughn pointed to her small dingy bed. “Then we can move this one over there.”   
  


“Sure, if it’s not too much trouble.” Chelsea nodded.   
  


Vaughn tossed her pillow onto the big bed, then easily moved the little bed out onto the lawn, then came back in and moved the bigger bed into its place. “There, you’re all set.”   
  


“Thanks again,” Chelsea said as they walked to the door. “Are you sure you don’t want any payment?”   
  


“Positive,” Vaughn turned to face her, tilting his hat at her. “Have a good night.”   
  


Chelsea noticed that his behavior had changed since he had been there earlier. She didn’t want to mention it though, because she knew he would go back to being his usual grumpy self. As he left with the small bed, Chelsea turned back into the house and closed the door.   
  


“Crap,” she muttered to herself. She had forgotten to order sheets for her bed. She ran over to the closet and grabbed two blankets. They would do for the time being. She laid one flat on the bed, then climbed up and covered herself with the other one. She fell asleep almost instantly. It was definitely a more comfortable bed.   
  
  
  


The next day when Chelsea woke up it was raining. She had forgotten to put her animals in, so she quickly got dressed and ran outside. Her animals were nowhere to be seen. In a panic, she ran to the barn and opened the doors, looking in. Her cows and sheep were inside. Confused, she turned and checked inside the coop. Inside stood Vaughn, placing feed in the bins.   
  


“Vaughn?!” Chelsea didn’t mean to sound so shocked, but it came out that way. “What... why are you here?”   
  


“I woke up this morning and remembered your animals had been out when I came over last night. It was about to rain, so I ran over here to put them in,” Vaughn dusted off his black shirt and folded his arms. “Just got the chickens in when it started pouring.”   
  


Chelsea didn’t know what to say. She stood there for a moment, staring at him.   
  


“I should get going,” Vaughn made for the door.   
  


“Thank you,” Chelsea finally said. “For thinking about the animals.”   
  


“I usually do it for Mirabelle,” Vaughn shrugged. “I care about animals.”   
  


“I do, too,” Chelsea crossed her arms. “I just forgot they were out.”   
  


“I got it,” Vaughn smirked. “They’re all good.”   
  


He walked away, and Chelsea watched from the coop as he made his way across the bridge and off of her land. He was an odd man. He was kind of scary, yet had a soft heart when it came to animals. She wasn’t sure what to think of him yet. She glanced around the coop and then made her way out, running back to her house. The crops weren’t ready yet and she didn’t have to water them, so she went inside and started a fire in her fireplace.   
  


The day was cold, but she liked it. Spring days like this were perfect for her crops. She could usually make a decent amount of money during this season, but summer was where she got her big money. She had made a good 10,000 G since winter. As she was thinking about the crops she needed for summer there was a knock on the door.   
  


“What’s with all of these visitors?” She said out loud, making her way to the door. Her clothes were still wet from being outside, so they clung to her skin. She opened the door and her heart fluttered.   
  


“Hey,” Denny’s voice was softer than usual as he stood out in the rain. “Can I come in?”   
  


Chelsea stood there for a moment, then opened the door to let him in. He stepped in and closed the door, but didn’t step further. “Sorry, I’m soaked. I don’t want to get everything all wet.”   
  


“It’s fine,” Chelsea motioned to herself. “Just take your shoes off.”   
  


Denny removed his shoes and sat them next to the door next to hers. He walked over to her and put his hands in his pockets. “Listen, I’ve been thinking,” he started, sighing. “You haven’t spoken to me since the other night. Was I out of line? Like, kissing you...”   
  


“No,” Chelsea responded quickly, biting her lip and looking down. “That’s not why I haven’t talked to you. The reason was I didn’t know what to say. I’ve been thinking about that kiss every second of the day for the last few days.”   
  


“Oh,” Denny nodded, then looked over at the fireplace, deciding to walk to where it was warm. “I figured maybe you didn’t like it.”   
  


Chelsea closed her eyes and sighed. She walked behind him and touched his arm, which made him turn around.   
  


“I did like it,” Chelsea admitted. She was sure that her face had turned pink. “And... Denny, I like you. I think I have for a while. I didn’t feel anything when I was on that date with Will, except for when I looked at you.”   
  


Denny looked down at her, not saying a word. His dark brown eyes scanned her blue ones. Chelsea noticed his brown hair was curling as it dried, his purple bandana was still very wet, though. She broke the silence that had stricken them by saying “this needs to come off,” and pulling the bandana off of his head and setting it beside the fireplace. His brown curls were now partly in his face.   
  


“Chels,” Denny smiled at her and reached for her red bandana. “Yours is wet too.” He grabbed it and tossed it down next to his. Chelsea grinned up at him.   
  


They spent the next hour listening to the rain and talking about their childhood. There was a lot that Chelsea didn’t know about Denny. He had siblings in the city, but never talked about them much because they were all stuck up and wanted all the finer things that could be bought, whereas Denny just wanted to be near the ocean and catch fish. It was his passion. His uncle had been a fisherman and he inspired Denny to be a master at fishing.   
  


Chelsea told Denny about her life before she moved to the islands. School, work, boring stuff. She explained that when she turned twenty that she didn’t want to deal with the city anymore and decided to run a farm.   
  


“So, nothing interesting has happened in my life,” she shrugged and looked over at the fireplace. They were sitting on the floor next to it, the fire now burning slowly.   
  


“Maybe not yet,” Denny smiled, taking her hand in his. “I’m sure it will be more interesting now. Wouldn’t you agree?”   
  


“I think so,” Chelsea squeezed his hand and smiled. “I’ve really liked this conversation, Denny. Thank you for coming over.”   
  


“Does that mean you want me to go?” Denny’s brow furrowed questioningly.   
  


“Oh, no,” Chelsea laughed and shook her head. “No, I was just saying thank you. I like the company. Plus, it’s pouring rain out there, and you just got dry. I’m not sending you back out there.”   
  


Denny smiled at her, then raised his hand to her chin, leaning in and kissing her as he had the other night. This time felt more experienced, more relaxed. She felt his tongue slowly exploring her lips as they kissed, as if asking for permission to mingle with her own. She parted her lips and their tongues danced together. Chelsea could feel herself getting hot, and not because she was sitting next to the fireplace. Denny took his other hand and placed it on her hip, scooting her closer to him.   
  


Chelsea knew this felt right, being here with Denny, in this moment. Everything was perfect. She stopped kissing him and stood up, reaching her hand down to him. He grabbed it and stood as well. She was about to say something, but Denny put his hands on her waist and slowly pushed her against the wall, kissing her hard, pressing himself against her. Chelsea was getting very hot now and she could see that Denny’s tan skin was now glistening with sweat. The room was fairly warm, but he was definitely getting worked up.   
  


“Denny,” Chelsea managed to say between kisses, which made him stop, both of the breathing heavily. “Maybe we should slow down a little.”   
  


“Or maybe we shouldn’t,” Denny teased, kissing her again. Chelsea pushed him back again, her brow furrowed now. Denny stopped and looked at her. “You don’t want to do this...” he realized.   
  


“Don’t get me wrong,” Chelsea reassured him. “I do want to, you have no idea how much I want to, but..”   
  


“But?” Denny prompted, hands still on her hips.   
  


“But I think we should just take it slow,” she smiled at him, running her hands along his strong arms. “I know what we both want, but I want to make sure we both understand how it will affect the other.”   
  


“Chelsea,” Denny moved his hands from her waist to around her, hugging her tightly. “You are all I want. No one else.”   
  


Chelsea hugged him back, leaning her head on his chest. “I’m really happy to hear that. You are one of the best people I know.”   
  
  


It rained the rest of the day, and by evening it was letting up somewhat. The two of them had spent all day together, which gave them a lot of time to talk and kiss... and talk and kiss. A lot of kissing.   
  


“I’d probably better get going,” Denny said, peeking out the window. He then reached down and grabbed both bandanas from by the fireplace, putting his on and handing the other to Chelsea. When she grabbed it, he grabbed her hand and pulled her close, kissing her again. “Goodnight.”   
  


“Goodnight, Denny,” she whispered, her face bright red. As Denny left Chelsea noticed the rain was almost fully stopped. She watched as he crossed the bridge, then made her way outside. She looked around. Her focus was back on her farm now. She thought about getting a puppy, seeing as she could use a herder for her livestock. She decided that in the morning she would run into town and look at the animal shop.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if there are any typos! Ugh. Just going back and re-reading this, only to find quite a few typos. Please ignore. Haha.

The cows moo’d in the pasture as Chelsea walked to her crops. With the animals cared for and the crops being watered, she was ready to head into town to shop for a puppy. A couple of the crops were ready for harvest, so she picked them and tossed them in the bin. Her fridge was fairly full of fresh crops as it was, so she wasn’t going hungry anytime soon.  
  


Verdure island was so green since it had rained. Chelsea walked to Mirabelle’s shop, opening the door and walking in. The bell above the door jingled to announce her arrival. Mirabelle appeared behind the counter, smiling brightly.  
  


“Hello there!” Mirabelle was a rather loud woman, but very friendly. “Looking for an animal today?”  
  


“Actually I need to pick up some fodder and chicken feed,” Chelsea pointed to four large sacks near the counter. “Those. And do you have puppies? I’m looking to get a dog.”  
  


“Actually, we don’t have any pups right now,” Mirabelle looked at a sheet of paper on the counter. “It looks to me like it won’t be until Monday that we get our new ones. Vaughn left this morning for the city to pick up more animals and feed. He usually stays all day Sunday, too.”  
  


Chelsea’s mind drifted to the tall cowboy that had helped her put her new bed together a few nights ago. “Ah, yeah. I knew that.”  
  


Chelsea had the feed delivered to her house, then made her way to Chen’s shop. Charlie, Chen’s son, greeted her at the door.  
  


“Hey there,” Chelsea greeted him, and he grinned. He spoke quickly about how they were really busy lately and how he never had time to play. Soon after, Charlie ran out the door. Chelsea walked to the counter where Chen was standing. “Morning.”  
  


“Oh, Chelsea,” Chen grinned and reached for something behind the counter. “Coincidence. These are for you.” He handed her a set of bedsheets wrapped in plastic.  
  


“I was just coming to order some of these,” Chelsea laughed. “How much do I owe you?”  
  


“Oh, they’re paid for,” Chen assured, nodding. “Denny bought them for you.”  
  


Chelsea took the sheets and said goodbye, walking out of the shop. She shoved the item into her rucksack and made her way to sprout island. The last time she came here was when she had her date with Will. Glancing over at the docks sat the yacht. Will’s horse was gone, though, so she sighed with relief. She didn’t want to see him anytime soon.  
  


Denny’s shack was empty when she walked up to it. Remembering that he liked to go fishing in the morning, she walked onto the dock and looked at at the ocean. In the distance she saw Denny’s little boat floating on the water, and Denny sitting inside, fishing happily. She smiled, thinking about kissing his lips.  
  


The sound of hooves on the stone pathway behind her made her heart sink. Just her luck that he shows up right now. She didn’t turn around, but she heard footsteps on the dock now. They stopped right behind her.  
  


“Hello,” his voice was quiet, the tone not happy.  
  


Chelsea turned to face Will. “Hi.”  
  


“What are you doing out here?” He asked, eyebrows raised.  
  


“I can’t come enjoy the view?”  
  


“I didn’t mean it like that.”  
  


“Then just let me be.”  
  


Chelsea turned away from him, looking back out at the ocean. Denny must have seen her, because his boat was coming nearer to shore. Will looked out, too, now noticing Denny’s boat. “Ah. I see. I should have suspected you were just here for him.”  
  


“You don’t have to be an asshole,” Chelsea didn’t look at him. She heard Will huff and then climb into his yacht and close the door.  
  


Denny finally made it to shore, a smile on his face and a basket full of fish next to him.  
  


“Get a lot?” Chelsea asked.  
  


“Definitely.” Denny climbed out of his boat and grabbed a rope that was laying inside. He tied it to the front of the boat and then the other end to a post on the dock. The fish basket looked heavy, but with one strong arm he lifted it out. “About fifteen large ones.”  
  


“That’s great,” Chelsea tried to sound enthusiastic. Though she didn’t care much for fishing, she knew he liked it a lot.  
  


Once Denny got the fish to his shack, he put them inside and closed the door, stepping back outside to be with Chelsea. He smiled at her, then took her hand in his and pulled her close. Part of her didn’t want Denny to kiss her in public, yet another part didn’t care. She decided to let her body take control. She leaned close to him, her body pressing against his, then he kissed her passionately, running his hands along her sides. They kissed for a long time, or at least Chelsea thought so because her jaw was starting to ache.  
  


“Walk me home?” Chelsea said after she broke the kiss. “I’m pretty tired. Thanks for the sheets, by the way.”  
  


“No problem,” Denny nodded and held her hand, walking with her. They were both silent during the whole way back to her house. It wasn’t until she was opening the front door that he said something.  
  


“Chels,” he looked directly at her, a small smile on his lips. “I’m falling even harder for you. I think I’m in lo-“  
  


Chelsea put her finger to his mouth, stopping him mid-sentence. “Listen,” she smiled, then kissed his lips quickly. “Don’t rush it.”  
  


With that she closed the door on him. She heard him laugh and make his way back to the bridge. Chelsea knew he was going to tell her that he loved her, but a part of her didn’t want to hear it, didn’t want to have a responsibility to him. She wasn’t sure why.  
  


~~~~~~~~~~

 

Once Monday was finally arriving, Chelsea couldn’t wait to go and see the puppies at Mirabelle’s. She quickly took care of her animals and crops, then hurriedly made her way to the animal shop.  
  
They were just opening as she arrived. The door swung open just as she was about to grab the handle. Vaughn stood there, staring down at her. She glanced up at his eyes, noticing only now how purple they were. She broke eye contact quickly, walking inside and past him.  
  


“Great timing,” Mirabelle called from behind the counter. “Vaughn just brought these little ones in.”  
  
On the floor in a large box were five puppies. Two were brown, two were black, and one was white. Chelsea knew which one she wanted as soon as she saw it. “The white one, male or female?”  
  


“Male,” Vaughn spoke from the door before before Mirabelle could answer. “One of the sweetest in the bunch.”  
  


Chelsea picked up the white puppy and it licked her face, whimpering slightly. “Aww, you wanna go home with me?” The puppy whimpered again and continued to lick her face. “I’ll take him. How much?”  
  


“Ask Vaughn,” Mirabelle grinned. “They’re actually from a litter of pups from one of his mom’s farm dogs.”  
  


Chelsea turned to face Vaughn, who smiled. She never saw him smile. She watched as he looked her over like she was a piece of meat, then laid his eyes on the puppy.  
  


“500G,” he said, nodding to Chelsea.  
  


“That’s all?” Chelsea was taken aback. “He’s beautiful. I can pay more.”  
  


“Just 500,” was all Vaughn said. Chelsea didn’t dare argue with the man. She had done that about money before and he wouldn’t hear it. She sat the puppy down with the others and rummaged through her rucksack, grabbing the amount of money she needed, then handed it to Vaughn.  
  


“Take good care of the little guy,” Vaughn’s voice went softer now as he knelt down and pat the little white pup on the head. “You be a good boy.”  
  


“Thanks, again,” Chelsea said as he stood back up to face her. She held her hand out to him for him to shake, but he just stared at it, then looked back at her face.  
  


“My pleasure,” Vaughn’s eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled at her, finally taking her hand in his and shaking it slowly. They made eye contact and Chelsea felt like time stopped. The purple eyes staring at her made her feel weak in the knees, the hand on hers was warm, yet rough from all of the farm work he did.  
  


“I-I gotta go,” Chelsea pulled her hand back and Vaughn handed the puppy to her. Just as she was leaving she heard the door of Mirabelle’s shop creak open before it could fully shut. She glanced back and saw Vaughn carrying something behind her. “What’s that?”  
  


“Puppy food,” Vaughn looked at the items in his arms. “A couple chew toys, a collar and leash, and a pet bed.”  
  


When Chelsea looked at him questioningly, he laughed. It was the first time she had ever heard the cowboy actually laugh. “It was included in the price.”  
  


“Oh,” was all Chelsea said as she made her way back to the farm, feeling slightly uneasy that Vaughn was following behind her so close now. He seemed very intimidating, but she knew he was just a normal guy. He was just more grumpy than others, or so she thought. She reached the house and sat the puppy down on the ground next to her door. Vaughn sat all of the items down next to Chelsea and put the little red collar on the puppy.   
  


“I can have a nametag ordered for the little guy, if you’d like,” Vaughn looked up at her as he scratched the puppy behind the ears.   
  


“I’m not sure what I’m going to call him yet,” Chelsea could hear a quiver in her voice as she spoke to him, and he must have heard it, too, because he stood up and smirked at her. He reached behind her and leaned his forearm on the house, causing her to take a step back until her back hit the house. He was standing directly in front of her, not leaving her any room to really move at all. Her eyes darted from his purple ones to the ground.   
  


“So, are you afraid of me or some shit?” Vaughn cussing didn’t surprise her. He seemed like the type that did a lot, but hid it around certain people. “Because I don’t know why someone like you would be scared of a guy like myself.”  
  


It took a moment for Chelsea to speak, but she managed to choke back the lump that had formed in her throat. “You’re just a little intimidating. That’s all.”  
  


This made Vaughn chuckle, the corners of his mouth jerking upwards as he smiled. “Just a little? Damn. From the way you act around me it’s like I’m some sort of damn evil entity.”  
  


This made Chelsea laugh. She was still uneasy, but as he spoke she got a little more relaxed. “It’s not that. It’s just that you seem to have your days. Like the other day when you wouldn’t accept the money for the bed. It scared me. Yet when you came to put my animals in when it was raining… I mean, that was really kind of you. I guess my point is, I’m not afraid of you, I’m just not sure what your true side is.”  
  


Vaughn nodded and pushed off from the house, taking a step back from her. He straightened his brown leather vest and put his hands in his pants pockets. “I guess a lot of people don’t see me like you do.” He started to walk away, but Chelsea interrupted his stride by speaking.  
  


“Why do you do that?”  
  


“Do what?” he asked, glancing back at her.  
  


“You walk away without even indicating that you’re going to leave,” Chelsea frowned now, wanting to list off the things that she found odd about him. “You do that, but then you get grumpy or something. Your mood changes really fast. Either that, or you’re just good at acting like a tough guy, and if people notice you actually being nice, you return to being an asshole.”  
  


“Oh, now I’m an asshole?” Vaughn was facing her again, hands still in his pockets. He nodded, looking down at the little puppy who was chewing on the edge of his pet bed. “I’ve been called an asshole. It’s not the first time.”  
  


“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Chelsea sighed, rolling her eyes. “You’re literally doing what I said you do. You just said I see you differently that others do, which is true. You let your guard down for a second, but then you started to leave without even saying goodbye.”  
  


Vaughn frowned to himself now and Chelsea knew he was thinking about what she had said. She could see a slight change in his eyes as he nodded again. “Sorry,” he said gruffly but quietly. “Sometimes I do it without realizing. Maybe I am an asshole.”  
  


“But you’re really not an asshole,” Chelsea walked over to him, yet kept some space between them. “Everyone acts like an asshole at some point in their lives. Then there are those people who try to act like their not an asshole when they want something, and when they lose that thing they show their true side.”  
  


Vaughn must have realized that Chelsea was talking about someone else, because he chuckled. “I think I know who you’re talking about.”  
  


“Who?” Chelsea wanted to see if he really knew, so she beat around the bush.  
  


“Well, no,” Vaughn thought again, pulling his hands out of his pockets and crossing them across his front. “I know of two people. It’s either that Lily woman or Will. Leaning more towards Will, only because he’s just a big pompous ass.”  
  


“He’s not that bad,” Chelsea didn’t know why she was defending Will all of the sudden. She didn’t like the way he had been acting to her just because she turned him down. “No, wait. He is. He really is.”  
  


“Yup,” Vaughn pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows, then lifted his hand and pointed his thumb toward the bridge to Verdure island. “I should get going. Mirabelle is going to need help with the pups.”  
  


“Thanks, Vaughn,” Chelsea said as he turned, and he nodded, tipping his hat down to her and walking away.  
  


Just as Vaughn crossed the bridge off of her farm, Denny ran past him and up to her house. He looked excited about something. He ran over to her and grinned, grabbing her shoulders in his hands. “Chels, guess what?”  
  


“Hmm?” she was still in thought over her conversation with Vaughn. “What is it?”  
  


“Now, don’t be mad,” Denny’s smile caught her eye, and she knew instantly that he had done something she may not like.  
  


“Denny…” Chelsea said slowly, raising her eyebrows at him.  
  


“I got something for you,” Denny covered her eyes with one of his hands and stepped behind her, guiding her forward now with his hand on her hip. “Keep your eyes closed. It’s a surprise.”  
  


“I hate surprises,” Chelsea grumbled, but she didn’t want to get mad when she didn’t even know what was happening yet.  
  


The sound of hooves clicking on the bridge made Chelsea’s heart skip a beat. She knew what Denny had done now. Then the sound of Taro’s cane tapping behind the hooves came into earshot. “She’s all set,” she could hear Taro shout from the bridge.   
  


“Thanks, Taro!” Denny shouted back, then Chelsea heard the old man walk back across the bridge, this time not accompanied by the hooves. Denny slowly moved his hand down from Chelsea’s eyes and rested it on her other hip. Chelsea could feel his body radiating warmth. She knew he was like a heater when it came to body heat.   
  


“Happy one year on the farm,” Denny pointed to a black horse that was standing beside her shipping bin. “It’s a bit late, but I remember you saying last year that you liked horses. I figured it was about time you got one.”  
  


Just then the little puppy grabbed Denny’s pant leg and tugged at it. Apparently he hadn’t even noticed the little guy before when he arrived. Probably because he was just too excited. “Wow, when did you get the puppy?”  
  


“Today,” Chelsea quickly went back to the subject of the horse standing on her farmland. “Did you seriously buy me a horse?”  
  


“Well, no,” Denny let his hands fall off of her hips and walked around to face her now. He was still smiling from ear to ear. “Elliot and Julia rescued her a while back, but they couldn’t take care of her because they’re both so busy and… well I think they’re planning on a wedding soon. So they let me have her, because I said I could find her a good home.”  
  


“Wait,” Chelsea looked confused for a second, then quickly raised her eyebrows in exasperation. “Elliot and Julia are getting married? And he didn’t even tell me?”  
  


Denny could see that she was now slightly upset, but he grabbed her hand to calm her down. “I don’t think I was supposed to tell you,” Denny admitted, looking embarrassed and ashamed. “They were going to tell you tomorrow. Gah, I’m an idiot.”  
  


Chelsea calmed down now, looking over at the beautiful black horse that was now munching on some overgrown grass. “No, you’re not,” she reassured. The day had been weird enough already with the whole conversation with Vaughn, she was already kind of riled up. She grabbed both of his hands in hers. “You’re cute. Thank you for getting her for me.”  
  


Denny smiled now, gripping her hands tightly, then leaned in and kissed her. The puppy tugged at Denny’s pants again, which made them break the kiss and laugh. Chelsea picked up the pet bed and the other supplies, then nodded over to the horse. “Would you mind putting her in the barn and putting some hay in her stall? I’ve got to get this stuff inside and make lunch. Join me once you’re all done.”  
  


Chelsea went inside as Denny left to do as she had asked. She thought about how happy she was with him. He made her smile every time he showed up, made her tingle every time he kissed her or even brushed his fingertips on her skin. A random shiver brought her back to reality. She sat the dog bed down next to the door, then put the puppy in it. She had to use a plastic plate to put dog food on and a metal dish for water, both of which were sat next to the bed. She hung the leash on a hook next to the door and made her way over to the fridge, opening it and getting a fish out. She had already scaled it and cleaned it, so it was ready to go into the pan.  
  


As soon as she popped the fish into the pan, she grabbed a package of rice and began heating water for it. The door creaked open slightly and the puppy barked repeatedly until Chelsea looked over. Denny reached down and pat the dog on the head, grinning again.  _ That smile gets me every time, _ Chelsea thought to herself, now pouring the rice into the pot of water.  
  


“I think this guy is going to be a good guard dog,” Denny stood up and stretched his back, pulling his arms back and above his head. Chelsea glanced over and saw his strong arms flexed, then saw his abdomen under his shirt as it was lifted slightly upwards with the stretch.   
  


“Yeah,” Chelsea realized she said this very quietly, her mouth slightly open as he watched him stretch. She turned quickly back to her pot of rice that was now cooking slowly. She put the lid on and checked the fish, which was now about halfway done. She felt Denny’s hands on her hips again as they had been earlier, but this time he snaked them around her front and rested on her abdomen, lightly  tracing his fingers across her skin at the hem of her shirt. “You probably shouldn’t distract me when I’m cooking.”  
  


Denny chuckled and stepped aside now, placing some plates on the table. The silverware clanked in his hands as he grabbed some from a drawer, along with two glasses from one of the cabinets. Once the food was finished Chelsea brought both pots over to the table and filled the plates. She had made quite enough for two people, for sure. She was sure there would be leftovers.   
  


The two of them sat down to eat. The birds were chirping happily outside where the warm spring air rustled the tops of the trees. Chelsea and Denny both loved the sounds of any season besides winter.   
  


“I noticed your crops are almost ready to harvest,” Denny loved talking about her farm. He was very enthusiastic about a lot of things that Chelsea did. “Maybe another two days?”  
  


“Tomorrow, actually,” Chelsea corrected, taking a sip of water from her glass. “I can show you how you can tell, once we are done. That is, if you’re interested.”  
  


“I’d love that,” Denny nodded, his plate slowly becoming emptier as the minutes passed. “I don’t know a whole lot about farming, but being with you I’m sure I’ll learn a lot.”  
  


His last words made Chelsea feel very warm in the face. She hadn’t thought much about it, but now she realized that Denny was basically saying that she was his girlfriend. She had thought about it after their first kiss... and then the other kisses. She really liked him, so she figured she would go along with it and see where they ended up.   
  


“Definitely,” Chelsea responded.   
  


They finished their food and Denny offered to clean the dishes, but Chelsea stopped him. “Don’t worry, I’ll get them tonight. It’s no big deal.”  
  


As they both left the house, Chelsea grabbed the leash from the hook by the door and shoved it in her pocket, letting the puppy follow them out the door. There were so many new smells for him to discover, so she let him run around the farm. He never got further than five feet away from her or Denny.   
  


“Wow,” Denny looked kind of surprised.   
  


“What?”  
  


“He’s a really smart dog,” Denny bent down and picked the fluffy white puppy up into his arms, scratching behind his ears. “Most puppies would run and not want to come back. He wants to explore, I get definitely see that, but he won’t unless you are near him. Where did you get him?”  
  


“I guess Vaughn’s mom has dogs,” Chelsea smiled at the sight of Denny holding the puppy. “He brought them into Mirabelle’s this morning. This little one was the only white one.”  
  


“He’s sure to be a loyal pup,” Denny turned the dog’s head toward him so he could get a good look at his face. “Oh wow. Did you notice his blue eyes?”  
  


“What? Really?” Chelsea looked at the puppy’s face. She apparently hadn’t paid much attention to the eyes, which were slightly hid away by fur. “Oh wow.”  
  


They were standing by the crops now, the sun beating down on them. It was getting pretty warm now, the hottest part of the day upon them. Denny sat the puppy on the ground near the watering hole and the little pup began to drink from it.   
  


“What’re you gonna name him?” Denny asked, watching the white fur ball. 

  
“I’m not too sure,” Chelsea shrugged. “I was mostly just excited to get a puppy, I guess I hadn’t really thought about it.”  
  


“What kind of dog is he? Maybe I can help you name him, if you’d like.” Denny grinned at her now.   
  


“Um...” Chelsea only now realized she didn’t even know what type of dog the puppy was. “I’m actually not sure on that either.”  
  


Denny laughed and shook his head. “You’re so smart, yet you end up not knowing things like this and it’s just funny. And cute.”  
  


Chelsea hit him playfully with the back of her hand. “You fish all the time, you probably don’t even know a thing about dogs.”  
  


“Hey, now,” Denny rolled his eyes playfully and looked out towards the crops. “I had dogs when I was younger. He looks like a husky. So... you gonna tell me about these crops?”  
  


Chelsea thought about asking Vaughn what breed the puppy was, but she could do that later. He would be in town tomorrow. She gathered her thoughts and nodded. “Uh, yeah,” she pointed to the nearest crops. “These cucumbers, see how they’re small today? They grow really fast, so by tomorrow morning they will be the perfect size for pickling. Then these over here, the strawberries, see how the berries are already on the vine, but they aren’t quite red yet? Tomorrow morning they will be. It really doesn’t take too terribly long for them to get full grown.”  
  


She explained a couple of the other crops, such as the ones that took almost all season to grow, and then began talking about the fruit trees she had on another island north of her farm. Denny was very interested in everything she had been telling him. By the time she was done, she smiled shyly and pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear.   
  


“Sorry,” she apologized, but when Denny looked at her questioningly she spoke again. “I can get carried away when I talk about this stuff. It’s probably boring.”  
  


“Not in the slightest,” Denny was being honest, she could hear it in his voice. “Really, this is all amazing. Fishing, on the other hand, is boring. I love it, but I couldn’t make someone sit and listen to me talk about it for an hour. I’d probably even bore myself.”  
  


Chelsea laughed and walked close to him, putting her hand in his and holding it. “You’re cute,” she said quietly now, looking up into his brown eyes. “I don’t mind hearing about fishing.”  
  


Denny grinned and joked with her. “Oh, well in that case. Alphabetical order of the fish that you can find? It’ll only take maybe two hours.”  
  


“Oh, ha-ha, very funny,” she grinned as he pulled her into a tight hug.   
  


Clouds were beginning to roll in, some pretty big and dark on the underside. It looked like it was going to rain, and Chelsea was glad that she had decided not to let the animals out today. There was a soft rumble of thunder off in the distance. The clouds were moving pretty quickly, the darker ones growing closer now.   
  


“Why don’t we go back inside?” Chelsea grabbed the puppy up from near her feet and started heading back to her house. Denny followed quickly behind her, glancing back at the threatening clouds. The reached the house and opened the door. The puppy wiggled free from Chelsea’s grip and went to lay in his bed.   
  


“I felt a couple drops,” Denny said, closing the door behind him. “It’s dropped quite a few degrees out there. At least it’s warm in here.”  
  


“Yeah,” Chelsea was shutting her windows and locking them up. “It usually stays warm inside for a good while.”  
  


The two of them went and sat in her living room, basically where they had sat before by the fireplace. The memory made Chelsea smile to herself. She saw Denny smile too, and figured he was probably thinking about the same thing. Rain was now hitting the roof slowly and steadily, thunder growing a little louder every few minutes.   
  


“Hey, Chels,” Denny said, looking down and picking at a string hanging from the hem of his pant leg. “The other day, I was going to say something...”  
  


Instantly she remembered. “Denny,” she took his hand in hers and smiled at him. “I know. I’m sorry I stopped you. I think I was just nervous.”  
  


“So,” Denny had a smile tugging at his lips now. “Can I tell you this time?”  
  


Chelsea nodded and Denny leaned close to her, his eyes directly in line with hers. He seemed more shy now, but he spoke softly. “I... I love you, Chelsea.”  
  


Red. Yep. Her face was red as a ripe strawberry. It made Denny laugh, so she went to playfully hit him again, but he caught her wrist and held it. Chelsea felt her heart beating fast. She spoke but it was barely a whisper. “And I love you.”  
  
  
The space between them, or what little space there was, disappeared as Denny leaned towards her, kissing her softly on the lips. It wasn’t like before. Before was more inexperienced, sloppy, but it was still great. This time, though, Denny was taking his time.   
  


Chelsea parted her lips and felt his tongue sliding across her own. She felt Denny’s hand move to her face, pulling her closer and kissing her more passionately. Rain was now hammering down on the roof, thunder roaring every few minutes, but Chelsea was so distracted that she barely paid any attention to it.   
  


Hot. Everything felt hot. Her skin, her face, the space between her thighs. Denny taking things slowly was making her ache for him more than she had before. He stopped kissing her for a moment, laying her back on the hard floor, then leaned over her and kissed her some more, then down her chin and nibbled at her neck. Chelsea let out a soft moan at the feel of his lips moving down her neck to the top of her shirt, which rested loosely on her breasts, some cleavage showing out the top.   
  


Denny’s lips were soft, so soft that they slid smoothly across the skin between her neck and cleavage. Chelsea was about to moan again, but he stopped and looked at her. “Is this okay?” The fact that he asked made Chelsea want him more. She nodded quickly. “Just tell me if I’m doing anything you don’t want me to do.”  
  


Chelsea wanted him, all of him, in every way possible. Her body ached for him to touch her, to pleasure her. Denny could see the look in her eyes and he smirked. He stood up quickly, holding his hand out to her. She grabbed it and he pulled her up to stand as well. They both glanced over at her bed, then back to each other, both thinking the exact same thing.   
  


“It’s more comfortable than the floor,” they both said in unison, then laughed. This was going to be a night to remember, for sure. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is just pure smutty goodness. Enjoy.

Denny picked Chelsea up into his strong arms and walked over to the bed, laying her down easily on her back. She scooted up a bit and then looked at the bed.   
  


“Hang on,” she quickly sat up and unbuttoned her shorts, pulling them off and tossing them to the floor. Same with her shirt. “I haven’t even put the sheets on yet, and my clothes are dirty from the field.”   
  


Denny was looking at her almost naked body. Her black underwear and bra were the only things keeping his imagination going. Chelsea hopped down off the bed and quickly grabbed her rucksack, pulling the sheets out and opening them. “Mind helping me?”   
  


Chelsea didn’t like the idea of doing anything on the bare mattress. She handed Denny a corner and she took the top corner, fitting it on. Denny did the same with the bottom. Once it was on, Chelsea grinned at him. “We don’t need the top sheet right now.”   
  


She walked over to Denny and ran her hands along the hem of his pants. He was definitely happy to see her. She could feel him through the fabric, hard as a rock. She pulled his pants down slowly, then he kicked them off. Next his shirt came off. “Mmm,” Chelsea ran her fingers slowly across his bare chest and abs now, hands trembling slightly.   
  


“Hey,” Denny put his finger under her chin and tilted her head up. “Promise you’ll tell me if any of this is too much?”   
  


The seriousness in his face made her jump back to reality for a second. She nodded. “I will, don’t worry.”   
  


Denny walked her backward until her knees hit the mattress and she fell back, her long chestnut hair flowing across the bed underneath her. She scooted up a bit so Denny could climb up, too. Chelsea sure was glad she got the bigger bed.   
  


His lips slowly kissed hers again. Now he was laying partially on his side right beside her, one of his legs over hers, his hand resting behind her neck on the bed as he kissed her. Chelsea slid her still trembling hands across his toned back, realizing how smooth his body was. He shifted his body so that he was over her now, resting on his knees on either side of her hips. She could feel his cock pressing against her thigh, which made her get even hotter between the legs.   
  


Now trailing kisses down from her lips, to her neck, Denny let his tongue slip out and taste her skin. The touch of his tongue on her collarbone now almost made Chelsea moan loudly. She had never been touched this way before in her life. She loved it and never wanted it to end. The kisses got lower and lower until he reached her breasts, which were still hidden by her bra. He kissed the soft skin between them, then reached a hand up and traced lightly over the thin fabric. Her nipple hardened into a little bud, which he fiddled with over the bra.   
  


“Can I take this off?” He looked up at her, waiting for her response.   
  


Breathing heavily, Chelsea reached a hand underneath of herself and unclasped her bra. Denny pulled the bra slowly off of her, letting out a small, quick exhale when he finally saw her breasts without the fabric covering them. Chelsea could see in his eyes that he wanted to do many things to her, but he was being very passionate and taking his time. Chelsea didn’t want to be on her back much longer. She sat up, breasts evening out from laying down. They were very perky, but not too small. A good handful, for about the size of Denny’s hands.   
  


“Lay down,” Chelsea moved out from under him and he laid on his back now. There was a pretty good tent in his boxer shorts, and Denny seemed slightly embarrassed, but Chelsea took his mind elsewhere. She climbed over him, her thighs on either side of his abdomen. She took his hands and placed them on her breasts, giving him permission to touch.   
  


A low groan escaped Denny’s lips as he lightly squeezed her breasts, flicking her nipples lightly between his thumbs and forefingers. Chelsea could feel herself getting extremely wet between the legs as he did this. Her eyes fluttered shut and she moaned softly. Hearing him make sounds turned her on even more. After a moment, Denny moved his hands from her breasts and put them on her sides, pulling her down onto him so that her chest and his were pressing against one another. He kissed her lips again, his hands moving slowly down her back now, down to her ass. He lifted one of his hands and lightly spanked one of her cheeks, which made her moan into his kisses.   
  


He quickly wrapped his arms around her and flipped her onto her back. He was over her again, but this time kissing her belly and breasts, taking one of the nipples into his mouth a couple times, swirling his tongue it, then sucking slowly, letting it fall out of his mouth with a quiet, wet popping sound. This was driving Chelsea almost to the edge. She wanted him so badly.   
  


“Denny,” she almost whimpered, wiggling somewhat impatiently. “I want you.”   
  


“You have me,” Denny teased, now kissing down her abdomen, stopping at the hem of her panties. He glanced up at her, and when she nodded he grabbed them with his hands and slid them down slowly. Chelsea had shaved herself a week before, as she didn’t like to have to deal with that when she was working outside. It always got too hot. Denny smirked, placing small kisses closer and closer, but then passing by her sensitive clit and going to her thigh instead.   
  


“I swear,” Chelsea almost laughed, impatience overtaking her. “If you don’t touch me there I will do it myself.”   
  


Denny let out a laugh and kissed her thighs some more, then, before he sat up, he gave her clit a quick flick with his tongue. Chelsea was mad that he stopped, but now his hands were there, slowly massaging her clit with his thumb. She was going to come, she could feel herself nearing the edge. As if he knew, Denny stopped rubbing her now, sliding his middle finger slowly up and down her extremely wet entrance. He eased his finger inside of her slowly, as to not hurt her. He knew right away that she was a virgin. She was extremely tight around just a single one of his fingers.   
  


Slowly moving his finger in and out, Denny managed to slip another finger in. Chelsea was moaning louder now, bucking her hips slightly with his movements. This turned Denny on even more, seeing her want him more and more. He curled his fingers upward slightly, repeating the motion over and over until Chelsea was squirming in pleasure, unable to even form words. He felt her walls tighten around his fingers as she reached climax. Her hands were gripping the sheet tightly as she came, moaning loud enough that Denny was sure if anyone were to come across the bridge they would hear her.   
  


When she finally came down from her orgasm, Denny let his fingers slip out of her. Chelsea looked tired already. “Did you like that?”   
  


“How..” Chelsea still couldn’t think straight. She let out a little laugh and tried to even out her breathing. “How did you even do that? That was the most intense thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”   
  


“I read a lot, when I’m not fishing,” Denny smirked, sitting up now. His cock was still upright under his boxers.   
  


“Ah,” Chelsea was quiet for a moment, regaining control of her body. She managed to sit up, still breathing somewhat heavily. “Denny.. I want you to make love to me.”   
  


Denny looked over at her, a small smile on his lips. “Chels, are you sure? I mean, we don’t have to right now. I don’t want you to feel pressured to just because I have a circus tent in my pants.”   
  


Chelsea laughed and shook her head, bringing seriousness back. Denny sure did like to joke about stuff like that when the opportunity presented itself. “No, really. I really do want to,” she touched his arm, then scooted close to him, sitting on her knees. She kissed his shoulder and his neck, then his lips.   
  


Again, Denny ended up over top of her, kissing her more fiercely this time. Once he kissed down to her thighs, he spread her legs apart and sat between them. He managed to get his boxers off and toss them on the floor. He then leaned back over her and kissed her lips again. This time Chelsea could feel his bare cock rubbing against her abdomen. A sudden thought popped into her head.   
  


“Wait,” she sat up quickly, looking at him.   
  


“What? Did I do something wrong?”   
  


“No, no,” Chelsea reassured, but sighed. “You don’t happen to have a condom?”   
  


“Ah, crap,” Denny sat up, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t. Do you want to just wait? I can pick some up next time Trent is in town.”   
  


Chelsea thought for a moment, counting back to when her last period was. When she finished counting, she realized that it was supposed to start in two days. “I think we will be fine,” she finally said. “Just pull out.”   
  


Denny almost seemed hesitant. “A-Are you sure?”   
  


“Yes,” Chelsea smiled at him, reaching for his arm. “It’ll be fine.”   
  


Denny nodded. Chelsea only now really took the time to look at his cock, which was now only semi-hard, but looked pretty big. She noticed that he wasn’t circumcised. She had never really seen a penis that wasn’t circumcised. All of the pictures she had ever seen were.   
  


“Something wrong?” Denny noticed her looking, and he got slightly pink in the face.   
  


“Oh, no,” Chelsea reassured, smiling and biting her lip. “It’s just.. I’ve never seen an uncut man before.”   
  


“Uncut?” Denny frowned slightly, unsure of what she meant.   
  


She explained it fairly quickly, not going into extreme detail. She didn’t want to kill the mood.   
  


“I see,” Denny nodded. They both were quiet for a minute.   
  


“Kiss me,” Chelsea broke the silence, pulling his arm toward her.   
  


They got back into it pretty quickly. They kissed for a while, Denny slipping his fingers back into her to make sure she was ready for him. She definitely was. He took his fingers out and then positioned his cock at her entrance. He grabbed it with one of his hands and slid it up and down her slit, getting the tip of his cock nice and wet.   
  


“Ready?” Denny asked, positioning himself again. Chelsea looked down and realized how big Denny really was. She instinctively tensed up. “Hey, look at me,” Denny spoke softly, his eyes looking right into hers now. “Relax. It will hurt a little, but not for very long. Want me to go ahead?”   
  


Chelsea took a deep breath and relaxed her body. His eyes calmed her in ways she couldn’t explain. “Yeah,” she spoke softly.   
  


Denny didn’t break eye contact at all. He very slowly slid the head of his cock into her, then held it there for a moment, allowing her to stretch to accommodate his size. He moved in a little more, and more, and more... until he was deep inside of her. He stopped, again letting her stretch. Chelsea bit her lip. She felt a small sharp twinge of pain as he went fully inside of her.   
  


“You doing okay?” Denny still hadn’t broken eye contact with her. Chelsea nodded, now putting her legs around his waist to let him get more room to move. “Do you want me to move now?”   
  


As soon as she nodded again, Denny pulled back, letting his cock almost fully come out, but before it did he pushed it back in slowly. Chelsea could feel the pain turning into pleasure now as he moved in and out slowly. Each time he pushed in she could feel the head of his cock hitting her cervix. Each thrust grew slightly faster, until he was going at a pretty good rhythm.   
  


A few groans escaped Denny’s lips as he thrust into her harder. The bed started to squeak underneath them. The sound of his thighs slapping against hers echoed throughout the little house. Chelsea’s moans were louder now, her breathing heavy. Denny’s breathing was unsteady as he thrust deeply into her several times. His cock was slightly bent in such a way that he hit the right spot every time. Chelsea could feel herself tightening around him and she knew she was going to have an orgasm if he kept going at this pace.   
  


“Mm, fuck,” Denny whispered through his ragged breathing. It was the first time Chelsea ever heard him curse. “Chelsea...”   
  


She knew he was getting close. Just as he thrust deeply into her three times in a row, she felt her own orgasm wash over her like waves in the ocean. Her legs tightened around his waist and she felt her walls tighten around is cock. “Denny!” She called out, raking her nails across his back as she came. Denny thrust a couple more times, which made her call out his name each time, then he quickly pulled out, letting his seed spurt out onto her abdomen.   
  


“Ahhh, Chelsea, fuck,” his eyes were closed as he came down from his orgasm. He opened his eyes and reached for a towel that was nearby Chelsea’s bed. He then flopped down beside her on the bed, breathing heavily, using the towel to wipe off his mess from her belly. He tossed the towel in the nearby laundry hamper and laid on his back, grabbing Chelsea’s arm and pulling her over to rest her head on his chest. “That was amazing. Did you like it?”   
  


Chelsea turned her head up to look at him, a big smile on her face and her cheeks extremely pink. “I loved it. Denny, you are amazing.”   
  


“You are, too,” Denny kissed her forehead and laid his head back. “I love you, Chelsea.”   
  


“I love you, too,” Chelsea felt happy saying it. She felt happy, content, and most of all she felt safe with him.   
  


The rain was still coming down, not as hard as it had been, but enough to put them both to sleep as they laid on the bed, snuggling close to each other.


End file.
